I made the lengthy trip off I-84 to Big W's. I was initially impressed with the heap of pulled pork placed on the bread of my order. I took it out to the car and opened it up, and at first I noticed a slight acrid smell... not exactly appetizing. Next I tried a piece, and unfortunately it tasted more bitter than it smelled. I don't know if this was a result of the red oak used in the smoking process, or an exorbitant amount of smoke exposure, but it wasn't pleasing at all. It wasn't succulent, like the pulled pork in Carolina, or even the better establishments in New England, like Redbones and Blue Ribbon.

It's not even a sandwich, as it buries three pieces of basic bread (sorry I don't want challah, rye or white with my pulled pork, I want it on a bun with slaw and sauce... hence a pulled pork sandwich). The "sandwich" doesn't come with slaw as a requisite; you can choose it as one of your sides (or mac 'n' cheese, beans, or pot salad). The BBQ sauce is in a pre-packaged one-ounce container. It didn't exude much flavor, and quite frankly is offensively small.

For $10 and change, I was thoroughly dissapointed. I won't be going back. Lucky for me, a double cheeseburger from the Red Rooster down the road salvaged my night.

Scorecard

"A half-pound of brisket tumbles from its bun. All those falling-off shreds are especially delicious."
Michael Stern

"Warren Norstein knows his way around a brisket. It is a joy to watch him slice it and pile the meat high on a bun."
Michael Stern

"The medium-size pulled pork sandwich is really very large, and so overstuffed that it is virtually impossible to lift like a regular sandwich. The pork benefits immensely from Big W's excellent spicy sauce."
Michael Stern

"Cracklin's, too rich to eat all by themselves, are an inspired garnish for mashed potatoes."
Michael Stern

"These were easily the finest ribs we've had outside of the barbecue belt."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle

"Corn pudding is a stout side dish that requires serious excavation."
Michael Stern